By JARROD POTTER
Returning to the state ranks wiser and more experienced, Dandenong cricketer Sophie Molineux can’t wait to don the VicSpirit top once again.
The 18-year-old’s break-out 2015/16 made her an irresistible prospect for Cricket Victoria, which signed her up for her second season with the state women’s squad.
The Bairnsdale off-spinning all-rounder featured prominently for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League, captained and earning a spot in the Governor-General’s XI and captained the Victorian under-18s to a national championship victory.
She also smashed her maiden first XI century early last season to kick things off in the Dandenong colours.
For these reasons and more the Lions’ all-rounder received the good news of her VicSpirit re-selection last week and was pumped to get another chance at a state debut.
“It feels amazing – words really can’t describe how much it means to me and I’m really excited for what’s to come,” Molineux said.
“Hopefully I can learn a lot and if the games come, they come, but, hopefully, I can take away a lot of knowledge.
“I’d been in the squad two years ago and I was very young compared to now – this time around I feel like I’m probably more mature.”
A little bit more wisdom at the crease and being able to traverse from Bairnsdale to the city a lot easier will hopefully make her second attempt at the navy blue a lot more successful for Molineux.
“Just being two years older – there’s still a long way to go, but being in the system for a couple of years ago gave me a taste of elite female cricket and what I needed to do to get there,” Molineux said.
“I was able to take away a lot and being able to work on that for the last couple of years.”
“Just to get to a lot of trainings this time around.
“Last time I had the contract was a little bit harder to get to training because I live far away.
“So if I get to trainings, it will be the fact that I’ll be around international cricketers as well as the young ones my age as well.”
In the mean time she’s got to balance off-season training and her VCE year at Nagle College – making the winter phase of 2016 just as hectic as her prosperous summer.
